Training Camp Day 7: Offense continues to build momentum

Notes from camp

Even without star wide receiver Davante Adams, the offense showed up in a major way on Friday. A few young pass catchers had their best days of the offseason thus far, which was due in large part to both quarterbacks having good days. O'Connell had multiple long bombs to a handful of different receivers, and Minshew was firing on all cylinders as well.

Ramel Keyton was a name that many people did not know before today's practice, but the UDFA from the University of Tennessee made his presence felt today. Outside of the top three receivers, the depth chart at wideout is a bit murky. Keyton made a strong case for a roster spot today and drew praise from a handful of media members.

Tre Tucker was the other name I frequently read about today, as he bounced back from a string of rough days. He caught a ball down the sideline from O'Connell in which he was draped by the defensive back, and still had the wherewithal to get both of his feet down in bounds, which he struggled with last year. Levi Edwards of Raiders.com called this O'Connell's best throw of camp so far. Finally, the Tucker hype train has arrived at the station instead of sitting idly by in the fans' imaginations.

Not much has been said about the running back unit at camp to this point, but Vic Tafur pointed out that Alexander Mattison has been impressive.

Paul Gutierrez of ESPN asserted that before today, Minshew entered the battle with a slight edge over O'Connell, but Tashan Reed and Vic Tafur of The Athletic believe the battle is far from over, and it will come down to the wire.

Fans did not hear much about the defense today, but that is okay, I doubt anyone is too concerned about that side of the ball. Crosby must have heard the noise about DJ Glaze having some success because Tafur had this to say:

Jakorian Bennett was called for another pass interference on Friday, which is not optimal. But according to Q Meyers of the Locked on Raiders Podcast, fans should not be too concerned about these penalties because the reffing at camp has been a bit suspect.

For the second day in a row, the offense has put together a good outing in team periods, and even without Adams, a plethora of pass catchers were able to find a rhythm with both quarterbacks. Rookies Dylan Laube and Brock Bowers continued to be effective and draw praise from their teammates.